


I've Got an Ace Up My Sleeve and a Diamond in My Chest

by Ciel_Leon



Category: Katekyou Hitman Reborn!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Bullying, Canon-Typical Violence, Child!Tsunayoshi, Child-sized Hibari Kyouya, Cross-Posted on Tumblr, Gen, I like it anyways, Immortal! Kyouya, Perpetaully Angry!Hibari Kyouya, Protective Kyouya, So Im messing with ages, So there's some fighting as well, Some Fluff, Some angst, Somewhat Out of Character Hibari Kyouya, Somewhat normal Hibari Kyouya antics, Supernatural AU - Freeform, This is an AU, Vicious Kyouya, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?, also, also posted on my tumblr, oh well, okay? okay., that includes "Bitting to Death", yes - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-04-20
Updated: 2018-09-20
Packaged: 2018-10-22 00:44:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 7,581
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10686288
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ciel_Leon/pseuds/Ciel_Leon
Summary: The Hibari family isn't human, they never have been and never will be- and while Kyouya hates humans with a passion, Sawada Tsunayoshi becomes an exception.  That doesn't mean that everything works out for the better though.





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Hraap](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hraap/gifts), [blackkat](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackkat/gifts), [Araceil](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Araceil), [Reighost](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reighost/gifts).



> Okay, so this fic was inspired by several authors, namely Araceil, reighost, blackkat, and Hraap who unknowingly dragged me into this fandom through their astounding fanfiction works for this fandom. Their writing is amazing and in the end, I couldn’t stop myself from writing this fic, even though I haven't gotten the chance to watch the anime or read the manga.

Despite what his parents think he doesn't need to be reminded of what they are. He remembers what it was like before, knows what led his family to where they are now.

At times he believes his parents forgot, that despite his age at the time, he was still old enough to remember. He carries the knowledge like a weight in his chest and a fury in his veins. Cast out, banished, forced to be among humans who know nothing, and understand even less. Humans are weak, ignorant despite their arrogance. Meer animals that walk upright with opposable thumbs, stuck to the ground by gravity, fragile in form with the possibility of death following the instance of each inhale and exhale.

His parents frequently tell him ‘don't forget…’. They whispered it to him when he was young, and even now, they speak the words to him with every farewell.

He has never forgotten and he will never forgive. His parents however, at times it seems like they have. For all their continuous reminders, they are the ones who adapt. They are not human, but his parents have come to display human tendencies and habits, and at times he is left feeling a resentment that holds deep despite his love for them.

It's this behavior, in addition to his distaste for humans in general, that stirs his loathing for the human race.

Disorganized. Disloyal. Weak. Ignorant. Arrogant. Self-serving. Cruel. Dishonest.

The list of negative characteristics he notices in humans grows ever-longer as he ages, much like his loathing for the race.

What eventually occurs is inevitable.

He gets fed-up, and the moment he does, he is struck with a moment of clarity.

He cannot fix the human race. Doing so is an impossible feat to consider. But perhaps, just possibly, he might be able to change some. It would have to be a relatively small group, but maybe he could change some for the better. They won't be perfect, humans are no longer meant to be, but improving some may impact the rest.

So he’ll start small, and if his true nature comes to the forefront...well, more incentive for the humans to get with the program.

* * *

Hibari Kyouya is a name that inspires fear all across the city of Namimori, and when it doesn't do that, it sparks resentment and at times even respect.

No one was quite sure when the Habari family made Namimori their home, and it now seems like they were always present despite the fact that Hibari Kyouya’s parents are rarely seen within the city itself. Kyouya himself is already leaving his mark, almost vindictive in the whirlwind of violence that leaves rule breakers and criminals alike with a newfound fear of the youngest Hibari. The police have cracked down hard, rather than give up and let Kyouya and his committee handle the crime. Amongst the officers it has become some form of a one-sided competition, as the officers attempt to bring in more criminals than the Disciplinary Committee and Hibari himself. The buildings remain clear of graffiti, gangs have been painstakingly uprooted and completely removed (either by force or assimilation into the DC), the crime rate has fallen significantly, and any new instance of rule breaking is snuffed out with a vengeance.

It’s somewhat strange to Namimori civilians when they consider the youngest Hibari and compare him to his parents.

Hibari Sen is beautiful, despite almost being an older female version of her ferocious son, her long black hair always pulled up in elaborate up-do’s to go with the elegant dresses or kimonos she wears when she's seen in public.

In contrast, Hibari Akihiko is a musculature brunette with dark brown eyes that almost look black. Short cropped hair that only contributes to his stern composure, both parents of the Head of the Disciplinary Committee appear kind and professional in comparison to the wild aura that follows at Hibari Kyouya’s heels.

Those who know Kyouya are left exceedingly confused in regards to where his behavior came from. After all, neither his polite mother or stern father seem to be people that would tolerate that behavior, and yet, Hibari Kyouya never appears to change over the years- much in the same way that Tsunayoshi Sawada continues to appear to be a cute if useless child (in their eyes).

Where the adult citizens of Namimori see only a bloodthirsty brat and a child who can't do anything right, the youngest Hibari sees the world in different eyes- see’s the world and the people in it as distasteful and Tsunayoshi as one more example of the sort of cruelty humans can inflict on one another.


	2. Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This part got pretty long, so I split it up into two parts, this the first half so the second half will end up being Part 3 since this fic idea wouldn't stop bothering me (this part literally wrote itself within 24 hours of uploading part 1 to tumblr), the only reason it took me so long to post was because I had to type it up since it was originally handwritten, sigh. As far as I know, this will probably be Gen since this fic starts out when Kyouya’s a ‘child’, but if for some reason that changes in future chapters I'll let everyone know. Anyways, enjoy!

They belonged to the species created long before the human race.

Even now they haven't been forgotten- still worshipped, still remembered, but for some reason, they are now thought to be a species with kindness at their core. 

This, above all things is not true. 

If there is some type of characteristic at their core, it's either order or fairness, and while sometimes being fair can also equate to being kind, the two are not mutually exclusive.

Kyouya himself is focused more on order than anything else, and it shows in everything he does.

The Hibari family have been Earth bound for centuries now, slipping through the cracks in the system, and moving across the globe after they have stayed in one place too long.

Blending in isn't the issue, their human forms age at the same rate as a normal human before they are forced to shed these forms like a snake sheds it skin.

The process is painful- an agony Kyouya would equate to what he imagines death would be like if he could die, but it is useful and that is all that matters.  Even if he is forced to regress to the age of an infant, no matter how much he hates the process, it has kept his family from suspicion many times- and if he has to suffer the humiliation, than so be it.

* * *

Kyouya is only seven in human years when he notices the drastic change in Sawada Tsunayoshi.

The youngest Hibari is already thought of as a menace by the school administration and his teachers.  He is already demanding those around him to “stop crowding” and unhesitatingly launching himself at his peers and even some students older than him when he catches them breaking the rules (regardless of his lack of weaponry).

It doesn't take more than a few months before he's referring to everyone around him as Herbivores and himself as a Carnivore- even though such knowledge about the animal kingdom clearly hasn't been taught yet.

Admittedly, his behavior has his teachers constantly moving him from classroom to classroom.  He’s thought of as a ‘problem child’ by the school's administration, and even though his parents have been contacted numerous times, and that he has been disciplined by the school itself, his behavior persists.

It's not severe enough to outweigh the influence the Hibari family actually has in Namimori, but it does mean that Kyouya eventually ends up in the same class as Tsunayoshi.

When Kyouya first sees the boy, it's easy for him to notice that Sawada is a popular, kind-hearted child- one that doesn't hesitate to help his peers or try to include all of them in games.

He observes most of this from afar during his the first two days after joining Sawada’s class.  He’s happily perched at the base of a tree, as far away from the other children playing on the playground as he can get during recess.

It's only the third day since he's been introduced to Sawada’s class when the fluffy haired boy seems to locate Kyouya leaning against his claimed tree before the brunet trots over to him.

Kyouya wants to bare his teeth, snarl, and scare the human child away, but he's too comfortable, too calm and almost sleepy in the nice weather to find the energy to do so.

When Sawada plops himself on the grass across from him, Kyouya only acknowledges his presence by glancing at him briefly before returning his lazily content gaze to watching the clouds float by.

He's only able to relish in the relative silence of his surroundings for a few moments before Sawada speaks.

“Hi!”, the human boy practically chirps, “I'm Tsuna!  Wanna play a game?” Sawada asks cheerfully.  Something in Sawada’s voice makes him think of fluffy creatures- not yet able to defend themselves, but also cute- and Kyouya can't quite bring himself to become irritated with the human child.

Instead, he finds himself answering the brown haired boy lazily.

“I don't like crowding.”  It’s succinct, and Kyouya thinks that Sawada will get up and leave but-

“What's crowding?”

Kyouya blinks, perplexed at the question for a moment before turning his gaze to meet Sawada’s eyes.

It's probably the adorable expression of confusion- scrunched nose, head tilted to the side and a slight pout on Sawada’s face that actually has him answering instead of getting up and leaving his spot in an attempt to get away from being bothered.

“Being around a lot of other people.” Kyouya replies almost stiltedly- and he can't help his amusement as he watches the human child's face light up with understanding.

“Oh!  Like when mommy has me hold her hand so I don't get lost ‘cause there's a lot of people!”

Kyouya nods amusedly, still mostly expecting Sawada to get up and go play with the young Herbivores, but the human child surprises him again.

“That's okay!  Umm, is it okay if I stay?  It's nice here!  And the clouds are really pretty!”

Kyouya is already nodding before he realizes it and watches in curious surprise as the young human boy scoots himself closer to Kyouya- still leaving about a foot of space between both of them before Sawada settles down next to him to watch the clouds.

They spend the rest of that recess (and many others after it) like that.  Side by side with Sawada interrupting the silence every once in a while to point out the shape of a cloud that excites him, but otherwise it's peaceful.  Sawada’s presence- there but unintrusive, and eager but not loud or obnoxious- is somehow calming.

They become something like what Kyouya imagines the human’s call “friends”, even though they only spend recess napping or cloud watching together.

  
The teachers all seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, since Kyouya’s new friend seemed to calm him down somewhat.  But then, after Sawada was absent from school for a week everything seemed to change, and no one besides Kyouya appeared to notice the severity or real scale of it.


	3. Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this is the last chapter I posted on Tumblr, meaning that Part 4 isn't up on Tumblr yet. Also some bullying (that's not really described) occurs in this chapter that is swiftly avenged by an angry Kyouya, so heads up there. Otherwise, enjoy!

After his full week of absence, Kyouya began to notice that Tsunayoshi was beginning to fall into a downward spiral.

Tsunayoshi became extremely clumsy- tripping over nothing about every five steps or so.  It became difficult for him to understand what was being taught in class as well- to the point where Kyouya soon found himself sacrificing his napping in order to help his friend keep up with their class.

However, the most profound thing that Kyouya noticed was how Tsunayoshi went from being a happy, easy-going human child, who had been somewhat confident in himself seemed to do a complete reverse.  Tsunayoshi became incredibly unsure of himself, had difficulty in class or talking to other students, and became more morose and standoffish as time went on.

* * *

Catching sight of several students- both boys and girls- surrounding Tsunayoshi in a secluded area beyond the playground ignites that (subdued- strangled and choked-off, but always present) fury in his veins.

Before he can do anything more than register the scene, he is launching himself forward with a snarl that sounds almost inhuman.  It's easy enough slip between two of the children surrounding his friend- sinking one fist into the side of the young Herbivore on his left before turning sharply to swing a leg out to knock another's legs from out beneath them, before catching a third in the jaw as they come too close in their scramble to flee from him.

Two of those that had loomed over Tsunayoshi escape his wrath uninjured- but only just, simply because Tsunayoshi catches the sleeve of his shirt as he moves to chase after them.  This leaves the other three with the brief instance they need to gather themselves and take off in the direction of the school.

His friend is crying quietly- hiccups occasionally slipping past his lips as he tries to stop.  While the loose grip Tsunayoshi has on his shirt is not enough to have kept Kyouya still under certain circumstances, the tears, scrapes and the dark red spots on Tsunayoshi’s skin that Kyouya recognizes as slowly forming bruises do.  Baring his teeth in thwarted anger in the direction Tsunyoshi’s attackers fled for an instant, Kyouya then settles himself down next to his friend, hesitating briefly before awkwardly wrapping his arms around Tsunyoshi’s still crying form.

Kyouya is extremely uncomfortable with the action, but his friend needs it, and he thinks he's heard that these ‘hugs’ make humans feel better.

It doesn't take long for Tsunayoshi to stop crying thankfully, but Kyouya has to force back a grimace as he realizes something.

Tsunyoshi’s bullies probably ran off to get a teacher.  The thought shouldn't bother him, but his instincts are telling him nothing good will come from his actions.  Not when the school's administration has already attempted to punish him multiple times and the teachers have come to see Tsunayoshi as being a lazy, no-good student.  It also doesn't help that Kyouya is also now realizing that one of the bullies he lashed out at also happens to have been one of the teachers’ kid.

Somehow, Kyouya doesn't think that the fact he was stopping them from bullying his friend will be an explanation that will be believed.

The prospect of such a thought actually leaves him feeling wary in a way the rarely ever happens.  Normally, such a situation would be easy to brush off, ignore, and then snicker at privately later on.  As it is, it takes him several moments to shake the feeling away and concentrate on Tsunyoshi’s shaking form as the other boy recovers from crying.

Kyouya isn’t entirely sure what to do at this point to be completely honest.  He feels awkward enough just giving his human friend a “hug”, but maybe Tsunayoshi will let him know when to let go?

Letting out a silent sigh through his nose, Kyouya shifts a little, attempting to make himself slightly more comfortable even as he draws Tsunayoshi closer to him.

The mere idea of Tsunayoshi’s bullies and the treatment his friend has been receiving lately from the Herbivores sends the same fury he experienced earlier sparking through his veins once more.

The whole situation infuriates him.  Tsunayoshi now struggles to avoid tripping every five steps where he could once run and chase the other tiny Herbivores until recess ended.  His friend had been slightly above average in class- not the height of intelligence but not average either.  Then the crux of the whole situation was the way the rest of the Herbivorous humans not only failed to attempt to figure out the cause of Tsunayoshi’s new problems, but they also exacerbated them.  Friendly peers became jeering bullies, teachers became irrationally intolerant and unhelpful, and even the adults Kyouya had seen interact with Tsunayoshi never seemed to give him a chance when they would give other children an excessive amount of attempts to do something right.

To make matters worse, Kyouya had been hearing the Herbivorous humans referring to Tsunayoshi in derogatory ways.

Kyouya had noticed them calling his friend “useless”- the mental list of names he had of those referring to Tsunayoshi in such a way was getting longer each day.  It was even getting to the point where Kyouya was having trouble ensuring that each one ended up suffering some sort of small revenge.

After all, biting every Namimori resident to death would not be possible for him at this age, no matter how much he felt it would have taught the humans not to refer to Tsunayoshi or even other Herbivores in such a way.  There were, however, certain things he was capable of doing that made for some very bad days for some cruel humans.  In his opinion, sticking gum into the thirteen year-old Hanzo-san’s hair while the older boy slept and then promptly ensuring that all of the hair care products in the house mysteriously disappeared was only a small revenge for the boys comments about Tsunayoshi when Hanzo had never even meet Kyouya’s friend.

Still.  If Tsunayoshi continued to be treated in such a manner, Kyouya would ensure each and every single Herbivore that treated his friend poorly would be Bitten to Death.

Even if it took him years to beat such behaviour out of them.


	4. Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright, I've had this chapter finished for about a week since I uploaded Part 3 to tumblr. Sadly, there's no Tsunayoshi in this chapter, additionally Kyouya ends up being as furious as he is a handful- meaning he causes issues for as many people as possible. Also, his parents should have remembered exactly how much Kyouya loathes being told what to do, you would think they would have known better...

They're shipping him off to Italy.

Italy of all places- where he won't be able to keep Tsunayoshi safe, or ensure that the Herbivorous humans in his chosen territory are behaving and-

And Kyouya is pissed.

His parents are overreacting- they're sending him to live with one of the many humans that are completely loyal to them, but Kyouya can only focus on everything wrong with the situation.

They're sending him away.  Away from the only place he's formed an actual attachment to over the centuries and the only human friend he has ever actually had, and they're treating him like the fact they're forcibly uprooting him from his own territory is nothing for him to be upset about.  Like Kyouya, and not his parents, is the one  overreacting.

It's their first fight in three centuries- the last one only being a somewhat brief argument over where they were going next.  This is an actual screaming match that lasts over two hours and results in Kyouya and his father bringing their true forms to the surface before Sen tells him in no uncertain terms that if he continues to fight their decision, all three of them will be moving and never returning to Namimori.

It's a threat that leaves him snarling in impotent fury before he storms to his room to pack.

They're sending him on the first flight out, and even as he starts gathering belongings to shove into his suitcases, one thought sinks into his mind and clings there like ivy- pervasive, and difficult to uproot.

His parents aren't giving him the chance to tell Tsunayoshi goodbye.

* * *

Kyouya is at the airport only three hours later- his parents are having to do pretty much everything except drag him through the crowded buildings in order to ensure he gets on the flight they paid for.

Kyouya takes vindictive pleasure in ignoring every attempt they make to force him to do something.

Going through security?  His parents had to go through his bags for his electronics so the scanners wouldn't go off.  Ignoring their inquires regarding what food he wanted to eat- and when they purchased some for him anyways, ignoring its existence, walking to the terminal meant Kyouya decided he wanted to go exploring (even if it meant he had to be swallowed up in the crowds of people).

Honestly, Kyouya finds only a small sense of amusement in the fact that for all his passive-aggressive actions, his parents don't seem to realize that he would have little qualm in throwing an utter tantrum  (water-works and high pitched screaming included, no matter how distasteful) if he didn't think it would mean crossing some sort of line.

As it is, his parents were wise to decide to take him to the airport hours beforehand, especially considering that Kyouya manages to “get lost” twice on their journey and has to be retrieved from police officers both times.

Unfortunately, despite all the trouble (including leaving his mother frowning severely and his father grinding his teeth), Kyouya still finds himself on a plane, his carry-on bag at his feet and a flight attendant sitting next to him.

Kyouya officially hates everything.

Except Tsunayoshi.

He misses Tsunayoshi.

* * *

It seems to be an eternity later when the plane touches down in Italy.

Kyouya is already itching with the need to bite something (or someone) to death, and the urge to start clawing at everything in reach to get out set in three hours ago.

The flight attendant had been smart enough to flee two hours ago, after Kyouya had started to eye the plastic knife being handled by an adult human male across the aisle a little bit to speculatively, and was now watching him from a relatively safe distance six rows ahead of where Kyouya was sitting.

Needless to say, after the plane had landed and the passengers had been told to disembark, Kyouya was hissing and snarling as he shoved his way out of the plane- carry-on in tow.

It was easy enough to dodge the flight attendant that had been accompanying him up until now in order to attempt to retreat to a less crowded section of Milan’s Malpensa Airport.  He isn't very successful.

Irritated, Kyouya is forced to weave his way through large crowds- nearly being run over several times as adult humans rush to their terminals, but eventually he makes it down to the Baggage Claim area.

Pulling himself off to a nearby wall, Kyouya sets down his bag and rummages through it briefly in order to pull out a picture of the human that's supposed to be caring for him for the next few months.

The adult male in the photograph has black hair and a tan skin tone- and doesn't seem like someone Kyouya believes his parents would associate themselves with.  Either way, this is who they sent him to and as much as he wants to, Kyouya can't just run away to Genoa in order to take up residence in the home his family lived in a century and a half ago, no matter how much he may want to.

Scowling viciously, Kyouya stalks way from his section of wall to hunt down his temporary guardian, because at much as it grates, his human form is too small and too weak- still in the developing stages- to ensure that he's physically capable of grabbing his luggage wit out looking lIke an utter fool.

Besides, no matter how angry he is there is no reason to take it out on a human who has, so far, done nothing to earn his ire.

Doing that would make him too much like the bullying Herbivores back home.

Kyouya loathes that thought more than anything.


	5. Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here’s Part 5, sorry about the wait!  I ended up writing the end of this chapter first, the beginning of this chapter later, and I had to figure out how to write the middle of it, which was giving me the most trouble.

 

If Hibari Kyouya was asked what creature he believed fit him best, the answer would probably stun those who knew him.

In their minds, he would probably be thought of as a bird of prey, much like a bearded vulture.  Or perhaps they would think of jaguars or tigers.

Kyouya, however, would have a different animal in mind.

Cold-blooded, a preference of avoiding humans, and the ability of camouflage, are all abilities Kyouya believes fit him even if he stands out amongst humans themselves.

The fact of the matter is he can hide among them, and modify his behavior enough to seem human.  He favors naps he can have beneath the sun, and he won't hesitate if his beliefs or person is threatened.

For all that he would wish to be a bird, Kyouya finds it ironic that a snake would be the creature that would suit him best.

The thought is a harsh reminder sometimes, that what he _wants_ to be isn't what he _is_.  Perhaps it's part of the reasons why he resents his parents for their human persona’s.  Not all of his hate for their ‘acting’ comes from their hypocritical reminders (‘ _never forget, never forgive’)_.  Maybe, some part of it stems from how eagerly they fall into the role of playing human and sometimes, just _sometimes_ , Kyouya wishes he was human so that _he_ _didn't have_ _to_ _pretend_.

Acting human is aggravating, and having to hide what he truly is only serves to incense him further.  Each human skin he wears and sheds chafes at him, like too tight clothing.  It's restricting and irritable, with each iteration becoming more constricting to the point where Kyouya wonders if there will become a time where his left to suffocate in the sheep's clothing he wears to hide amongst those who should be his prey.

There have been lifetimes where Kyouya has fought and clawed, spitting and snarling in his rage at the injustice of it all, but inevitably he's forced into wearing a human skin, reminded of what could happen to him, to his family, should they reveal themselves.  He is reminded that everything has its dark side cornered prey will fight back, predators will defend their pack and humans will retaliate if they fear something that they can't, or won't understand.

He can hide, but he doesn't want to, he can act, but that's all he's doing, he can shed his skin, but it may doom him.

Kyouya is left wondering if the shackles he sees are of his own design, invisible to everyone else.  He is able to remove them and free himself, but if he should discard them, the humans see a monster within their midst.

* * *

Kyouya met his new, if temporary, guardian near one of the front desks occupied by the airport staff who are busily tagging luggage and purchasing tickets for their harried human customers.

The man isn't that different from the photograph Kyouya’s parents gave him.  He’s fairly tall, with spiked black hair that appears to be held back from his face and two claw marks across his right cheek that could either be tattoos or scars.

Upon catching sight of Kyouya, the man approached him only to crouch down in front of the youngest Hibari, leaving a bit more than a foot of space between them.

“Ah, you must be Hibari Kyouya, it is nice to meet you.  You can call me Lancia.”

Kyouya blinked, slightly bemused at the fluid Japanese that came from the Italian man before nodding briefly in acknowledgement.

Lancia gave him a soft smile that somehow didn't look out of place despite his more rugged features.

“I assume that you have more luggage than this with you?”, the Italian asked, nodding briefly towards Kyouya’s backpack. The youngest Hibari didn't hesitate to give the human the look of derision he believed that comment deserved, but instead of becoming irritated like most humans, Lancia just huffed in amusement before standing and offering Kyouya his hand.

Kyouya bared his teeth briefly, annoyed at being treated like the child he _appeared_ to be, before reluctantly capitulating and grasping the adult humans hand before they started to make their way back to the baggage claim area.

Later, Kyouya will regret that he didn't just go hide out somewhere or go to airport security and claim that he accidentally got lost and was supposed to be in Genoa.

* * *

Kyouya would like to reiterate that he hates everything.

Everything.

This includes Milan, everything and anyone in it, as well as his brand new temporary guardian.

The human male was courteous enough to grab Kyouya’s luggage without prompting after he had introduced himself.  It was everything that happened afterwards that left Kyouya filled to the brim with spite.

After they had gotten in his guardians vehicle, Kyouya had allowed himself to fall asleep, more out of necessity than trust.  He had been tired from the stress caused from the rush through the airport as well as the flight itself and the barest sense of trust that had been established upon meeting his parents associate allowed him to drift off out of exhaustion.  Of course, then the foolish human had decided that carrying him from the vehicle while he was asleep was a brilliant idea.

It wasn't.  Kyouya woke up the second that it registered he was being lifted out the vehicle and his reaction had been to immediately lash out with a fist, leaving his guardian with a new and sizeable bruise rising on his cheek.

Honestly, Lancia had taken the whole situation better than Kyouya would have thought possible, simply brushing it off and remarking that he should have known better considering that he knew Kyouya's parents would have reacted in a similar (if more violent) manner.

To make the situation even more annoying in addition to the interrupted nap, Kyouya found that he was standing in a parking lot in front of a restaurant.

Apparently, Lancia decided that after his flight, Kyouya would be hungry and need something to eat.  Maybe, if Kyouya had been a run of the mill, human, seven year old, Lancia would have been right.

Unfortunately for the Italian, Kyouya was anything but.

Kyouya had taken one look at Lancia’s patient expression, glanced back at the restaurant (full of _noise_ , and _music,_ and _humans_ ), and blinked when his mind assimilated everything.

The resounding ‘ _NOPE’_ that went through his brain when everything was computed had Kyouya immediately attempting to climb back in the vehicle.

There was no way in the nine levels of hell that he would willingly step foot in that place.

Nope.

No way.

Not even if someone managed to put hell in a handbasket.

Kyouya refused.

Of course, the moment Kyouya attempted to retreat into the inside of the vehicle, he found strong arms around his waist pulling him away from his prospective sanctuary until he found himself being carried like an unruly child ( _which he wasn't, thank you very much!),_ towards the current bane of his existence.

Letting out a low inhuman snarl of displeasure, Kyouya sleepily buried his face in the dark jacket Lancia was wearing.

Maybe if he went to sleep it would all go away.


	6. Part6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry that this chapter has taken so long. I've had it written down on paper for a while, but I honestly dont really like how this chapter came out, which probably contributed to the delay in typing it.
> 
> To somewhat make up for it, chapter 7 is already typed up and I'll post it tonight.
> 
> Sorry for any grammer/ spelling errors, but I wanted to get this up as soon as I could!

Shedding a skin isn't a painless, easy thing.

Its forcefully shedding hair and skin and blood even as muscle, and bone are forced to shrink and organs become aware that there is  _ less _ \- less room to exist in the body, less armour to protect them as bone becomes more elastic and less durable- but above all, there's also a hypersensitivity.

Infants  _ feel _ more in general- so the pain he feels only sharpens into a deeper agony the closer he gets to completing the process.

At times, Kyouya believes that the process of de-aging himself is more agonizing than dying itself- but then, he and his parents have also died in some of the most gruesome ways.

He tries not to think about it.

It's not just his body that de-ages though.  Like everything else, his mentality degrades slightly.  He becomes more emotional and more temperamental.

More  _ childish _ .

Kyouya only thanks the stars that he doesn't literally start over every time he sheds his skin- instead, of having the mentality of an infant when he deages to that point, he has the mentality of a four year old. It's weird, and he doesn't quite get how it works, but he's thankful that even if he wears a human skin for 50 years, it won't be like reliving an entire life repeatedly.

But that still doesnt change the fact that he hates Shedding more than anything- even annoying, arrogant, irresponsible Herbivores.

* * *

 

 

If Kyouya was either, a) more conscious or b) a nicer person, he would have found it in himself to play at being the kind, quiet and happy child he very much was not.

Well, that, or he would have kicked Lancia in the kidney and bolted out of the restaurant before the hostess at the front desk could have said hello.

As it was, Kyouya was  _ actually _ feeling like a grumpy, sleepy- and therefore fed up- human child.  He felt no compassion, his tolerance for inordinate stupidity was drier than an Arizona desert in the middle of July, and Kyouya would rather bite a hand attempting to feed him over then anything else.

Of course, the first person he bit didn't happen to be attempting to feed him food, or (much to Kyouya’s momentary ire) Lancia.

It happened to be another of the restaurant's customers, who decided cooing at an already disgruntled and attempting to sleep Hibari was as good an idea as attempting to pinch Kyouya's cheeks was.  Even after Lancia had warned against it.

(Lancia got cookies for that at least- mental cookies.  Kyouya may not have been hungry,but he would rather devour any nearby cookies himself than actually give them to someone else.  Still, what was the human saying? “It's the thought that counts?”)

Either way, lady with a low IQ got exactly what she deserved.

Admittedly, Kyouya had only been aware of something attempting to touch  his face and a hand near his mouth. His reaction had been, well, rather immediate, especially since it wasn't even precluded with a warning growl.

But really.  What was it with humans these days?  You don't touch things that don't belong to you. It's rude.

Also potentially hazardous to one's health.  Venomous bites ring any bells?

Besides, wasn't that supposed to be a lesson human adults taught their hellish human offspring?

(Tsuna was an exception.  His Tsunayoshi was a nice human child that knew better than to touch something he wasn't supposed to.)

Either way, the lady that decided touching a sleepy Kyouya suddenly found a set of small teeth embedded deeply into her wandering hand and the cry she emitted once her nerves registered the pain of what had occurred only served to make the situation worse.  The growl Kyouya emitted as he heard the cry of pain was ferocious and only led to the youngest Hibari clamping his teeth down even more on what was in his mouth as his sleepy mind told him that maybe if he bit hard enough, the damn thing  _ would stop shrieking. _

_ “ _ Kyouya!  No! Spit that out, you don't know where it's been!”

Barely awake, Kyouya could only spare a second to think “ I know exactly where it's been Herbivore-  _ my mouth” _ before deeming the voice shouting at him as unimportant and merely gnawed at the thing in his mouth.

That was until Kyouya registered the tang of copper along with something almost medicinal that caused him to wrinkle his nose, unclench his jaw, and attempt to rid his his taste buds of the horrendous mix of flavours by spitting out whatever was in his mouth with a vengeance.

**_Yick_ ** .

Screwing up his face at the taste in his mouth, Kyouya couldn't help his grimace even as he felt the need to rinse his mouth out.

“Kyouya!”

* * *

Kyouya somehow managed to doze off after the whole biting fiasco, only dimly aware of a human females shrill voice and the mention of a “menace” and something about a “lawsuit” as well as what Kyouya thought was Lancia’s apologetic voice.

He slept for awhile, unaware of the chaos he’d caused with his little act of violence, which had sent the restaurant workers abuzz as they attempted to placate the now injured woman as well as make use of one of their first aid kits even as the enraged woman attempted to tear into Lancia for his “son’s” behavior.

Abruptly, Kyouya found himself unhappily jarred awake by the sound of a plate connecting with a tabletop with more force than necessary.

Kyouya snarled, automatically snapping his teeth sharply in displeasure at being woken up.

The deafening silence that followed left the youngest Hibari rumbling happily before he resettled himself in order to doze off again- much to the relief of the entire restaurant.

* * *

Lancia would freely admit that he wished that he had turned around and walked right back out of the restaurant after his ward attempted to take a bite out of someone- and yet, he also couldn't help but feel that the lady did it to herself.  He had warned her that Kyouya didn't like being touched by strangers (that was clear enough, he had only know the boy for about an hour, maybe two tops, and the youngest Hibari had attempted to pulverize his kidney after Lancia had woken him)- but she had just insisted on getting her hands near Kyouya’s face.

The more Lancia thought about it, the more he figured that he shouldn't be embarrassed about the whole thing.  She hadn't listened, and he refused to drive home on an empty stomach because a sleepy kid got a little bitey.

Even if his intent had been to actually get Kyouya to eat before he took them home.

(You can't always get what you want, and almost  _ nothing _ ever goes according to plan.)

Regardless, Lancia made a mental note (or 20) that a sleepy Kyouya should not be brought into public.  Ever.

Clearly, a sleepy Kyouya and being around people didn't mix.

You learn something new every day.

Lancia got his dinner with very few issues (the exception being when Kyouya had been startled awake), and with that done, Lancia faced a new issue.

Because despite his amusement at how those in the restaurant had parted like the Red Sea, eyes warily focused on the lone child he carried in one arm as he made his way outside, Lancia not only had no doubt that his boss would be hearing from that harpy woman about a lawsuit.  But now he had to attempt to put a tempermental, bite-first no questions later, easily woken Hibari into the backseat of a car and then put a seat belt on him.

The Italian had a bad feeling about this..

Sighing, Lancia gingerly worked to get Kyouya settled into his seat, carefully pulling strong fingers from his shirt and moving Kyouya as little as possible during the whole procedure.

Relaxing minutely once Kyouya was in his seat, Lancia grabbed the seat belt and buckled the child in cautiously before carefully bringing his hands away from the sleeping Hibari.  He almost sighed in relief before his gaze fell onto the seat belt- bring the realization that the belt now securing Kyouya into his seat was twisted up.

Cringing, Lancia warily eyed both the sleepy demon - child and the twisted belt in trepidation.

He could just… leave it right?

They weren't going  _ far _ -

But it would be as uncomfortable as it was unsafe if he left it like that.

Closing his eyes in resignation, Lancia reached forward again to try and untwist the belt.  After a few moments, he managed to set it straight and was about to pull away and retreat to the driver's seat- arm moving through the air in front of the child's chest before he felt a sharp and sudden pain in his hand.

Lancia fought the urge to groan before he forced his eyes to meet Kyouya’s.

Dark eyes squinted up at him unhappily as those little teeth dug into Lancia’s hand.

Lancia refused to break eye contact, meeting Kyouya’s irritated evenly for what felt like several minutes, until the child’s eyelids slowly droop and the Italian feels the teeth holding his hand captive loosen their grip.

He’s careful when he pulls his hand free of Kyouya’s mouth, slowly retreating backwards until he’s able to shit the backdoor as quietly as possible before he climbs into the driver's seat.

Lancia sits there for a moment in the dim light of the moon and examines the neat little indents in the shape of an oval now printed on his skin, and he cant help but be vaguely thankful that he hadn't been shocked enough to shriek like the banshee from the restaurant.

He has a feeling that if he had, his hand would be a bloody mess right now.


	7. Part 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 7 as promised! Enjoy! : D

Humans say that Life is unfair, and Luck is fickle, but sometimes Kyouya wonders about Death.

That's probably one of the more interesting things he’s heard about.  He’s heard humans call Death fair, or just, sometimes even merciful or kind, and yet- to him Death above all is confusing.

It can be merciful if one is suffering to the point where life seems to be an insurmountable struggle.  It can be fair, if you recognize that in death, all things are equal because all things, eventually  _ die _ .

But Kyouya, Kyouya also knows death.  He knows death like he knows life because he has caused it and experienced it.  He has seen what it can do- it can start wars, just as well as it can end them, it can give hope in situations where there once was none, it can be a cause of celebration or of mourning, it can mean peace, or even defiance.

There are so many shades of Death, and where Life is that one peice of existence that screams  _ go, go, go _ , Death merely whispers  _ slow down, you can stop now. _

But that's the other thing.

Kyouya can never  _ stop _ not like he sometimes wants to.  He always ends up just-  _ getting back up _ .

_ Flames, fire, burning, burning, burning! _

_ Cold, so cold, he cant feel anything- limbs too heavy- have to move, have to move.  Cant. _

_ Dry throat and aching stomach, no light, cant see- hands along jagged rock, where is the exit- where- hard to breathe- like a weight on his chest that grows, grows, grows.  Faint shouts but too far away- no way out. _

_ Delirium, red haze, things that are there but not- hot, burning! But not burning- drum beat in his ears, aching- hurts to move- _

He remembers some deaths more than others.  Sometimes, his parents suffered similar fates, sometimes he died first, sometimes he was the one alive when they were not.

Even now they remain Unclaimed, caught in the Human realm but not Human.  Alive in a place where Death cannot keep them from returning.

Like the fire birds of Human myths and legends.

But Kyouya is not a bird, no matter how much he may want to be.

His wings were clipped so long ago, he wouldn't know what to do with them if he ever got them back.

* * *

At this point, Kyouya would just like to nope right the fuck off, out and beyond his existence.

Forget Genoa- Hell forget  _ fucking Italy _ , Kyouya will be noping right back to Japan if he has to stay anywhere in the vicinity of a  _ seven year old Herbivorous child  _ (that isn't Tsunayoshi).

No, Kyouya didn't care if he looked the same age as the  _ human _ staying here.  He was not one, he was much older than one, he hated  _ humans _ , and  _ young,  _ and  _ human young  _ most of all.

And then-

“Please try not to pick any fights with them, they've been through a lot and I'm sure-”

Kyouya was only aware of a roaring in his ears.  ‘They’. ‘ _ Them _ ’.  They were talking like- no.  No, no, no, no, no. There couldn't be more than one human young here.  Lancia wasn't going to- no. No, if there was more than one other child here he was gone- he could avoid one human child easily enough, but the  _ more _ there were the more  _ persistent _ they became which meant they became even more  _ annoying- _

“-all of you will get along wonderfully!”

Kyouya couldn't help but twitch violently.  If this man- what was his name again?- wasn't Lancia’s boss, Kyouya would already be  _ biting him to death _ for the sheer implication that Kyouya was  _ anything like _ human bratlings, and therefore capable of  _ getting along with them _ .

“Ahhh, here's one of them now! Come, come!  This is Kyouya, Kyouya this is-”

Blue.

Kyouya’s mind fritzed.

What- how was? Fucking _blue_ _hair_.

Why did it look familiar- like some sort of-

The realization almost smacked Kyouya’s brain so hard it rattled around in his skull.

“Mukur-”

“Pineapple.” Kyouya blankly interrupted.  Staring at the human bemusedly, even as he watched the other child- was it a boy?  It looked like a boy, but maybe it wasnt, with hair like that, who would blame Kyouya for second guessing himself.

“Oya, what did you just call me?”

Kyouya blinked, gaze falling from bright blue hair to- red and blue eyes, narrowed into slits, even as anger and defiance burned there and yet-

Something about those eyes was wrong- so wrong, and it made something in Kyouya- something that had slumbered deep inside lurch to attention even as bloodlust sharply flooded through Kyouya's veins in a way he hadn't felt in  _ so long _ .

Kyouya was already baring his teeth, muscles loose and heartbeat in his ears-

“Pineapple head.”

There's a snarl full of pure rage- a surprised shout as the lone adult ducks out of the way- even as Kyouya launches himself forwards.

There is something wrong with this child and everything about them (him?) makes Kyouya want to bite them to death.

That something inside him pushes him on because-  _ chaos, disorder, anomaly, dead, but living, living,  _ _ alive _ _ , wrong, mistake,  _ _ shouldn’t exist. _

Lancia cringes even as he watches his boss attempt to swoop forward and seperate the two hellions trying to claw, bite,  _ tear _ at their opponent and shakes his head.

He’d told his boss that the Hibari child they would be taking in probably wouldn't be a social creature, and well, look at how this turned out.

And to think, Kyouya had only met one of the three boys staying in the Costa Famagilia’s manor.

If Kyoya's meeting with Mukuro held true for the other boys, it would be a miracle if the mansion was still standing by the end of the week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So if anyone is interested, the death's Kyouya is refering to, in order, are:
> 
> Being burned alive  
> Freezing to death  
> Suffocating after a cave-in  
> Dying due to disease
> 
> I may expand on/ mention more about these, but i figured I'd leave these here.
> 
> Soooo, how did you guys like Kyouya’s meeting with Mukuro? Also, do any you have any ideas as to what type of being Kyouya is yet?


End file.
